Brian Cassels

Had a great time with the Bowers boys earlier this week going out to the site where the camp is.  So far it is fairly primitive, but I feel like theres a lot of potential.  We just spent the night one night and talked about some of the possibilities of the site and some activities we could do when campers come.  We are planing our first camp for next weekend, the 21-22.  So the next week will be a lot of preparation.

Today I spent some time researching how we could construct a good climbing wall and what would go into it.  We are planning on building one soon, as well as getting a boat so that rather than driving an hour to the site we could take campers there in a boat up the river, which would be a lot more adventurous and cool.

On our way back from the campsite, we went looking for one of my friends from school, Erin, who is doing a 6 month internship in Mozambique.  All I knew is that she was living in a town called Massaca, which is fairly close to the camp.  So on our way home we detoured and went to find her.  After asking about 10 different people and following bits of directions we finally found the ‘white girl’.  She was shocked to see a familiar face.  Where she is living, no one speaks English, everyone speaks shungan and some Portuguese.  It was fun to surprise her.

Jim and Cory with weapons

Me cutting some sugarcane with Cory

View of the river right by the camp

Up a tree that will probably soon have a rope swing

I am back in Maputo after 10 days in Xai Xai doing work with the development organization. I definitely have learned a lot so far! The organization is completely run by Mozambicans and it just starting up, so I am getting to see a lot of what goes into the beginning work of a development organization. It is also explicitly Christian. One of the cool things I was able to witness is first going into the poor, rural communities and presenting the project. There is a town meeting where anyone can come and hear about the project and ask any questions so that they decide if it is something they want to do or not. In one particular town, we all went into a hut made of reeds that was kinda like a stereotypical longhouse for tribal meetings or something. All the women set on mats in front and the men in chairs in the back. Marcos explained the project and goals while everyone asked questions. This was mostly in Shungan, a tribal language, and not Portuguese, so I had little idea what was going on. But, it was really cool to witness. They would occasionally break out into song with clapping and multiple harmonies.

On Saturday I came back to the Bowers house and for the first time met Jim, who is the one who brought me here to help him start a camp. He had been in the states and then I was in Xai Xai, so we finally met! I’m excited to start working with him, this afternoon we are heading out to the campsite to spend the night and for me to get a lay of the land.

Last night we went to the US Ambassadors house for a worship service. He is a believer, and invites people to come over every Sunday night. Afterwards we were introduced and it turned out I had a lot of connections with them! Their oldest son is going to be a student at Wheaton next year so they had a billion questions for me. So after everyone left, including the Bowers, I stayed over at the Chapman’s for another hour and a half. Kinda random that I was hanging out at the Ambassador’s house by myself. But, we really connected well, he shared with me his testimony and story of how he ended up joining the foreign service and encouraged me, as I’ve been considering that as a potential career. I was also able to help give them lots of the inside information on Wheaton College and make a first semester schedule for their son. He said I could come shadow him at the Embassy later in the month, and gave me a ride home! More to come soon…E-mail me and let me know how you are!

Presenting the energy project

My English class

Drive by shot of an example of the head balancing skills these women have.  The other day I saw a woman with about 60 lbs of firewood stacked on her head.

Hello All!

For the last week I have been in a small town called Xai Xai [shy shy] about 3 hours up the coast from Maputo.  As I mentioned, I am working with a development organization while I am here.  It is run completely by mozambican nationals.  The organization is called Luz para Desenvolvimento (Light for Development).  Basically they start by offering energy to people in communities who have no access to light or cooking stoves.  If a minimum of 250 households in a community are willing to undertake the project, they will be able to purchase a battery powered light for nightly use and a tank with gas and a stove for a highly subsidized price.  They will also have two building constructed in their community.  One is an energy center where they can recharge their batteries and purchase more gas, the other is an educational center where nightly classes will be held. 

The first project will be launched in October, so I have been helping to train people who will work for the organization out of the main office in Xai Xai.  I have been teaching English classes as well as some other classes in development. 

I am staying with the director of the org, Pastor Marcos, and his family.  It has defenitely been a good chance to work on my Portuguese and get a good vibe for mozambican life since I havent even seen another foreigner in the last week.  Last weekend on my first couple days off I was able to go to the beach with a few friends that I made who help out with the organization, Adriano and José.  The public transportation here is unbelievable.  There is such a lack of transport that everyone is waiting on the side of the road to catch a chapa (15 passenger van).  Let’s just say that they do not limit themselves to 15 passengers.  When I got in the van it already had about 18 people, and I got on with about 5 others.  When I thought it could not take even one more person, the chapa stopped and picked up 4 more! 

Missing you all, hope everything is well!  I head back to Maputo on Saturday.  Thanks to Daniel and Tarpit Creative for creating a website in my name.  Blessings!

Enjoying a day off at the sea.

Waiting for the chapa…

Just imagine being cramped in here with us!

My trip to Mozambique was supposed to take about 48 hours total to make it to Maputo. It ended up taking a bit longer…..After I got to Johannesburg, South Africa, I spent the night at a lodge and got dropped off at a gas station/bus station, to catch a bus to Maputo at 8AM. When I got there I asked which side of the building the bus to Maputo came on and was told a certain block. By 8:45 i decided that I should start sking around some more. Turns out that my first helper was dead wrong,I waited in the wrong location, so I missed my bus.

I Tried to get some change to use a pay phone, but no one there had ever seen american dollar before and would not accept them, so I bummed some Rand (South african currency) off some nice people and called the bus company, who changed my ticket for the next bus-10PM. So i just chilled at the station stranded for about 7 hours total until the lodge people could pick me up again for a nap in their lobby rather than sit on the street. I went back to the station later and while waiting for my next bus was talking to a South African guy who turned out to be homeless for the time being, and was actually living at this station, guarding cars during the day and sleeping there at night. My bus came and I threw my bags in the back and boarded. The attendant asked for my passport when I got on board, and I informed her that I would need to get a visa for Mozambique at the border (these were my instructions). However…she threw a fit about it and refused to let me ride the bus. So, despite me trying to reason with them, they took my stuff out of the bus and drove off without me. Now I was REALLY stranded. Since I had no place to stay the night and there was no ransportation around, I arranged for another bus to take me to the border at 5:45AM the next morning, and the South African guy I met-Eric-and I slept on the tile in the gas station. So I can officially say I’ve been homeless in South Africa one time.

I finally made it to Maputo yesterday evening, the Bowers family is extremely nice, with two out of control toddler girls and a jr high boy. My first day had a little more action than I was expecting. I went with the family on a walk around the city, caught my first glimpse of the Indian Ocean. Then in the afternoon, my internship coordinator picked me up and took me to a youth group event and had me share my testimony in Portuguese. I knew I would have to do some work here, but I wasn’t expecting to speak the first day. The service was awesome, lots of dancing, great music. Loving it here so far!  Hope you are all well!

Homeless in Johannesburg!

Sharing, first day in Mozambique.